Accomplished poets Jeanetta Calhoun Mish and George Bilgere headline a lengthy list of outstanding writers as East Central University conducts the Annual Scissortail Creative Writing Festival, April 5-7, on the ECU campus.

Mish and Bilgere are two of 58 writers who will be making presentations at the three-day event.

For more information on the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival or questions about group attendance, contact Dr. Ken Hada at 580-559-5557 or at KHada@ecok.edu.

The East Central University campus and offices will be closed for Spring Break, March 19-23. The campus will reopen on Monday, March 26 for normal operational hours. ECU’s Linscheid Library will be closed March 17-24 and reopen on Sunday, March 25, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The Tommy Hewett M.D. Wellness Center will close on Friday, March 16 at 8 p.m. and not reopen again until Monday, March 26, at 6 a.m.

East Central University’s Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya was recently the recipient of the prestigious national level American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages (AATSEEL) Award for Excellence in Post-Secondary Teaching.

Sukholutskaya, director of Russian Studies and ECU’s Global Education program, received the award at the Annual AATSEEL Conference in Washington D.C. She has been a member of that group of over 1,000 members since 2001.

East Central University will conduct is annual Law Day celebration on Thursday, March 15, beginning at 11 a.m. in ECU Foundation Hall of the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center.

The event, free and open to the public, will feature two speakers – Justice Noma Gurich of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Chickasaw Nation District Judge and ECU alumnus Dustin Rowe - sandwiched around a networking lunch.

An East Central University education can lead you down a different, but successful path.

Just ask Sarah Jones, who is now social media creative producer with the Chickasaw Nation. Jones, a 2015 ECU graduate, recently took home a Nextgen Under 30 Media/Public Relations Award from a statewide event which honors those, under the age of 30, who are already making an impact in their young careers by demonstrating talent, drive and service to their communities.

As a son of immigrant parents, East Central University sophomore student Alexis Benitez, called Alex for short, is highly motivated to attend law school.

A first-generation student and the first in his immediate family to attend college, Benitez is pursuing a degree in political science and legal studies and was recently named the winner of the 2018 George and Donna Nigh Public Service Scholarship, an award presented to college students who are preparing for careers in public service.

East Central University's mission is to foster a learning environment in which students, faculty, staff, and community
interact to educate students for life in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society. Within its service area,
East Central University provides leadership for economic development and cultural enhancement.